It may be hard to believe after all this time, but we're officially more than halfway through the "Squid Game" saga.
The first season of the South Korean series shattered records to become the most-watched series in Netflix history, and then "Squid Game" season 2 continued that winning streak. It assumed the No. 1 spot on the streamer's Top 10 list shortly after premiering on Dec. 26, continuing its reputation as one of the best Netflix shows out there. But it left off on a serious cliffhanger, with fans hungry for resolution.
Now that viewers have officially caught up with Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) and the rest of the competitors, our sights are set on season 3 of the dystopian drama to see how this finally plays Though creator Hwang Dong-hyuk never envisioned the show lasting beyond its initial nine episodes, the massive global success of its first season meant that future installments were all but inevitable.
Seasons 2 and 3 were written and filmed back-to-back, which means that the wait for that grand finale will thankfully be way shorter than the three-year hiatus between the first "Squid Game" season and the second. With the final season even closer than anticipated, here's everything we know so far about "Squid Game" season 3.
When is the 'Squid Game' season 3 release date?
"Squid Game" season 3 is officially set to debut on June 27, 2025, as Netflix officially announced earlier this January. There will be six episodes total, down from the seven-episode second season.
Previously, a promo clip was seemingly posted accidentally, as Netflix quickly removed the video, but not before fans could screenshot the leaked date and share it widely on social media. Then came the official rollout, which generated plenty of buzz – now folks know that the end for the massively popular series is on its way, and it's going to be a doozy of a conclusion.
As for closing out the "Squid Game" story, creator Hwang wrote of season 3: “I am thrilled to see the seed that was planted in creating a new Squid Game grow and bear fruit through the end of this story. We’ll do our best to make sure we bring you yet another thrill ride.”
Is there a 'Squid Game' season 3 trailer?
Yes, the official trailer for the third and final installment of "Squid Game" debuted on Sunday, June 1 at the big Netflix Tudum 2025 event — check it out below:
Who is in the 'Squid Game' season 3 cast?
The complete cast list for "Squid Game" season 3 has not yet been announced, but fans can expect breakout star Lee Jung-jae — who earned a Primetime Emmy for the series — to return as protagonist Seong Gi-hun, who reentered the lethal competition in season 2 to take down the corruption from the inside.
Speaking of corruption, Lee Byung-hun will be back as the sinister leader of the Game, known as the Front Man. Wi Ha-joon will also return as undercover police officer Hwang Jun-ho.
Reportedly joining them will be returning cast members including Kang Ha-neul (as Dae-ho), Lee Jin-wook (as Gyeong-seok), Park Gyu-young (as No-eul), Park Sung-hoon (as Hyun-ju), Yang Dong-geun (as Yong-sik), Jo Yu-ri (as Jun-hee) and Kang Ae-shim (as Jang Geum-ja).
What will 'Squid Game' season 3 be about?
Previously, Dong-hyuk told Variety that Gi-hun will be at a very "critical crossroads" in the third installment following his rebellious actions.
According to Netflix, the third season will "explore the choices Gi-hun will make amidst overwhelming despair". The Front Man will be looking to make his next move, all the while all of the rest of the players to have survived the games will find themselves dealing with newer and deadlier consequences as each round of the games go on.
(We can expect season 3 to pick up right where that dramatic season 2 finale ended, which saw Gi-hun trying to stage a coup against the Pink Guards but having his efforts squashed after a betrayal by Player 001 and The Front Man.)
"As for the storyline of the third season, Gi-hun having lost everything, including his best friend, and all of his attempts going to failure, it’s now, what is he going to be like? What state is Gi-hun going to be in? And what will he choose to do? Will he continue on with the mission? Is he going to give up or persist?," the series director, writer and executive producer told the outlet.
"And so you’re going to meet our character Gi-hun at a very critical crossroads as we begin the third season. Gi-hun will not be the man he was in Season 2."
Dong-hyuk has also teased that writing the show's second season changed the ending of the entire show. Speaking to IndieWire, he said: "I wrote seasons 2 and 3 at the same time... and along the storyline, there is a turning point that takes place, and that leads to a series of different events, and also leads to a significant change in the character".
“Relatively speaking, the ending for season 2 came to me quite early on. However, the ending to season 3, actually ended up [in] a different direction than what I had initially conceived of. While I was working on the story and working on the script, I saw this new path that I wanted to go down, and so the ending of season 3 actually changed in the process of creating season 2", he added.
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